Eye health: Exercises for work

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Many Australians spend most of their working week behind a desk staring at a computer screen. As more and more people work overtime beyond the traditional 9-5, some are finding their eyes are sore, tired and dry, which can lead to tension headaches.

Fortunately, there are a number of things you can try to promote good eye health, even during long working days – and sometimes nights – spent gazing at their screen.

A simple trick to try is to put a reminder on the computer screen to do eye exercises every hour. These can become a quick part of your routine. One suggestion is to go by the clock – close your eyes and look up, as if looking at 12, then down to 6. Follow this with 3 to 9, 1 to 7, 2 to 8 and so on. Following this, roll your eyes around in one big loop, as if around the face of the clock. This will only take a minute or so and will help keep your eyes feeling fresh throughout the day.

Another exercise to try is to pick up a pen from your desk and hold it to your nose, looking at the tip. Move the pen to an arm’s length and back again a few times, always focusing on the tip. This will help your eyes to flex their muscles and take a break from looking at a bright screen a foot away from you.

In some cases, the help of supplementation may aid vision problems. Bilberry and lutein are both common supplements used to improve eye health. Lutein is sometimes known as ‘the eye vitamin’1 as it is a carotenoid vitamin which is thought to work as a light filter, protecting eye tissues from damage caused by sunlight. Bilberry is commonly taken to support healthy eye function. 2